Candle with embedded item and methods for manufacturing and selling same

ABSTRACT

A candle with an embedded item and methods for manufacturing same are disclosed. A method for manufacturing a candle having an embedded item can include providing a first set of items of a first value and a second set of items of a second value different from the first value, combining the two sets to create a third set, and distributing the items of the third set among a set of candles, one item per candle, where the presence, nature, or value of the item within the candle is obscured. The method can further include selling the candles for a first price, wherein, the presence of the embedded item, the nature of the embedded item, the value of the embedded item, or the value of the embedded item relative to the first price is not known to the purchaser. The embedded item can comprise an object redeemable for a prize.

PRIORITY CLAIM

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/455,103, filed Aug. 8, 2014, which is a continuation-in-part fromU.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/184,217, filed Feb. 19, 2014 nowU.S. Pat. No. 8,899,973, issued Dec. 2, 2014, which is a continuationfrom U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/554,519, filed on Jul. 20,2012, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,758,008, issued on Jun. 24, 2014, which claimsthe benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/598,662,filed Feb. 14, 2012; the disclosures of which are incorporated herein byreference in their entireties.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The subject matter described herein relates to candles with itemsembedded within and methods for manufacturing and selling same.

BACKGROUND

People like to give and receive presents. In some cultures it iscustomary to wrap a gift present in an attractive package which ispleasing to the eye of the recipient and which also prevents therecipient from immediately knowing the nature or value of the present,which peaks the interest of the recipient, increases the recipient'santicipation of the unwrapping of the gift, and increases therecipient's delight and enjoyment of the gift revealed.

Candles are popular gifts due to their pleasant form, color, and/orscent. A burning candle provides a warm, relaxing atmosphere, andcandles are associated with love, romance, or special occasions. Candlebodies are typically made of an opaque or translucent material, such aswax, which is consumed while the candle burns.

Candle bodies thus make an ideal container within which to hide an item,such as jewelry, gifts traditionally given on romantic or specialoccasions, or other items, where the presence, nature, or value of theitem is slowly revealed as the candle body is consumed, to the delightof the recipient of the candle. In addition, the excitement ofanticipation one feels while waiting to find out the nature or value ofa gift received may be heightened when the recipient of a candlecontaining an embedded item knows beforehand that there is a possibilitythat the value of the embedded item can be larger, and sometimes muchlarger, than the purchase price of the candle within which the item isembedded.

Thus, there is a need for candles with items embedded within them wherethe presence, nature, or value of the embedded item is obscured by thecandle body and therefore unknown to the purchaser or user of the candleuntil the candle body has been consumed sufficiently to reveal thepresence, nature, or value of the item.

SUMMARY

According to one aspect, the subject matter described herein includes amethod for manufacturing a candle having an item embedded within. Insome embodiments, the method can comprise providing a first set ofitems, each item having a first value, providing a second set of items,each item having a second value different from the first value,combining the first and second sets of items to create a third set ofitems, and distributing the items of the third set among a set ofcandles, wherein each candle of the set of candles comprises anenclosure that forms a periphery of the candle, wax that forms a body ofthe candle, and a wick. One item from the third set can be enclosedwithin a first container that is embedded within the wax of the candlebody, wherein the first container can be attached to the inside of theenclosure that forms a periphery of the candle such that the presence ofthe first container is visible through the enclosure but the nature ofthe embedded item from the third set, the value of the embedded itemfrom the third set, or the value of the embedded item from the third setrelative to a purchase price of the candle is not discernable while theitem from the third set is embedded in the candle.

According to another aspect, the subject matter described hereinincludes a candle with an embedded item. The candle includes a candlebody including wax and a wick, where the candle body includes anembedded item such that the presence, nature, and/or value of the itemis obscured by the candle body.

According to another aspect, the subject matter described hereinincludes a candle with an embedded item. The embedded item can in someembodiments comprise an object that is redeemable for a prize. Theembedded item can in some embodiments comprise an object of value suchas a ring for example and an object that is redeemable for a prize ofgreater value. The object that is redeemable for a prize can comprise atoken that may be exchanged for the prize. The object that is redeemablefor a prize can display a prize identifier for identifying the prize,the type of prize, or the value of the prize. The prize identifier cancomprise one or more characters. In some aspects, the object that isredeemable for a prize can be redeemable by submitting the prizeidentifier to a first party. The first party, in response to receivingthe prize identifier, can provide the identified prize. In some aspects,the object that is redeemable for a prize can be redeemable by enteringthe prize identifier (for example a random code or numerical indicator)into a web page that transmits the prize identifier to the first party.The object that is redeemable for a prize can be redeemable bytransmitting the prize identifier to the first party via a letter, anemail, a text message, or a telephone call.

As used herein, the term “wax” refers to substances that can be used toform a candle body and which are consumed, usually as fuel, while thecandle burns. Examples include, but are not limited to, animal fats orwaxes, such as tallow, insect waxes, such as bee's wax, plant waxes andfats, such as soy-based products, and petroleum-based substances, suchas paraffin.

As used herein, the term “wick” refers to any object which holds theflame of a candle. Examples include, but are not limited to, string,cord, wood, or other objects that draw the liquid fuel to the flame,usually via capillary action.

According to yet another aspect, the subject matter described hereinincludes a method for manufacturing a candle that contains an item whosepresence, nature, and/or value is obscured from the buyer. The methodincludes attaching an item to the inside of a container, and filling thecontainer with wax such that the wax obscures the nature or value of theitem.

According to yet another aspect, the subject matter described hereinincludes another method for manufacturing a candle that contains an itemwhose presence, nature, or value is obscured from the buyer. The methodincludes adding a first amount of wax to a container or mold, allowingthe first amount wax to harden sufficiently enough to support an itemthat is placed on the surface of the wax, placing the item on thesurface of the wax; and adding into the container a second amount of waxat least sufficient to obscure the presence, nature, or value of theitem.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred embodiments of the subject matter described herein will now beexplained with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein likereference numerals represent like parts, of which:

FIG. 1 shows a method for making a candle that contains an itemaccording to one embodiment of the subject matter described herein;

FIGS. 2A through 2D show the steps of a method for manufacturing acandle having an item embedded within according to an embodiment of thesubject matter described herein; and

FIGS. 3A through 3C show the steps of an alternative method formanufacturing a candle having an item embedded within according to anembodiment of the subject matter described herein, in which the candlecan be partially constructed and the item introduced or placed into thecandle before construction of the candle is completed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The subject matter described herein includes a candle having an embeddeditem within and methods for manufacturing and selling same. Exampleembedded items include, but are not limited to, jewelry, such as rings,earrings, and chains, precious or semiprecious stones, pearls, etc.Alternatively, or in addition, in some embodiments example embeddeditems include, but are not limited to, tokens or redeemable objects thatcan be redeemed in exchange for jewelry, such as rings, earrings, andchains, precious or semiprecious stones, pearls, etc. As an example, amethod for manufacturing a candle having a ring embedded or token for aring within is disclosed.

FIG. 1 shows a method for making a candle that contains an itemaccording to one embodiment of the subject matter described herein. Atstep 100, a first set of items, each having a first value, is created.For example, a set of rings, each ring worth $10, can be collected andoptionally prepared for embedding within the finished product candles.At step 102, a second set of items, each having a second value, iscreated. For example, a set of rings, each ring worth $100, can becollected and optionally prepared for use. Other sets of rings can becollected, each additional set having rings each worth another value,such as $1,000 per ring, $5,000 per ring, and so on. The values usedabove are for illustration only and are not limiting. All items in a setneed not be the same. For example, a set of items can include differenttypes of items, such as rings, earrings, pins, etc., but having the sameor very similar relative value. Moreover, items in one set need not bethe same as items in another set. For example, the first set of itemscould be rings and earrings while the second set of items could bebracelets and necklaces.

At step 104, the sets of rings are combined. At step 106, the combinedset of items is distributed among a set of candles such that each candleincludes one item from the combined set embedded within the candle.Optionally, in some embodiments, in step 108 the candles can be sold fora first price, where the value of the embedded item is not known to thepurchaser at the time of purchase. In one embodiment, the value of theitem cannot be determined by the purchaser of the candle until thecandle has been burned or the wax melted to expose the item (or allowthe item to be removed and unwrapped if the item has been encased in apouch, bag, or protective wrapping.) In one embodiment, the purchaserknows that a candle might contain an embedded item but cannot determineat the time of purchase whether the candle does or does not contain theembedded item.

Referring again to FIG. 1, in some embodiments at step 100, a first setof items, each having a first value, is created. For example, a set ofrings, each ring worth $10, can be collected and optionally prepared forembedding within the finished product candles. Then, in some embodimentsat step 102, a second set of items, each having a second value, iscreated. For example, tokens, vouchers or redeemable objects (referredto collectively as redeemable objects) for a set of rings, each ringworth $100, can be collected and optionally prepared for use. Other setstokens, vouchers or redeemable objects for rings can be collected, eachadditional set of tokens, vouchers or redeemable objects beingredeemable for rings each worth another value, such as $1,000 per ring,$5,000 per ring, and so on. The values used above are for illustrationonly and are not limiting. All items, tokens, vouchers or redeemableobjects in a set need not be the same. For example, a set of items caninclude different types of items, such as rings, earrings, pins, etc.,but having the same or very similar relative value. Moreover, items orredeemable objects in one set need not be the same as items in anotherset. For example, the first set of items could be rings and earringswhile the second set of items could be bracelets and necklaces, orredeemable objects for the same.

In some embodiments, at step 104, the sets of rings and redeemableobjects are combined. At step 106, the combined set of items isdistributed among a set of candles such that each candle includes oneitem from the combined set embedded within the candle. Thus, in someaspects a candle can have embedded therein an item from the first set ofitems, e.g. a ring, having a first value, or an item from the second setof items, e.g. a redeemable object for a ring of a second value.Alternatively, in some embodiments at step 106 the combined set of itemsis distributed among a set of candles such that each candle includes oneitem from the first set of items, e.g. a ring of a first value, and oneitem from the second set of items, e.g. a redeemable object for a ringof a second value.

Thus, in some embodiments, a candle can have a ring with a first value,or a ring with a second value, or a ring with a first value plus aredeemable object for a ring of a second value, or a ring with a secondvalue plus a redeemable object for a ring of a first value. In someembodiments, a candle can have a ring of a first value, or a redeemableobject that is redeemable for a ring of a second value. In someembodiments, the ring of the first value is a value less than thepurchase price of the candle, and the redeemable object for a ring of asecond value has a value greater than, in some instances significantlygreater than, the purchase price of the candle. In some embodiments, acandle can have a redeemable object redeemable for a ring of a firstvalue, or a redeemable object that is redeemable for a ring of a secondvalue. In some embodiments, the ring of the first value is a value lessthan the purchase price of the candle, and the redeemable object for aring of a second value has a value greater than, in some instancessignificantly greater than, the purchase price of the candle.

Optionally, in some embodiments, in step 108 the candles can be sold fora first price, where the value of the embedded item(s) is not known tothe purchaser at the time of purchase. In one embodiment, the value ofthe item(s) cannot be determined by the purchaser of the candle untilthe candle has been burned or the wax melted to expose the item (orallow the item to be removed and unwrapped if the item has been encasedin a pouch, bag, or protective wrapping.) In one embodiment, thepurchaser knows that a candle might contain an embedded item, and/or aredeemable object that is redeemable for an item of value, but cannotdetermine at the time of purchase whether the candle does or does notcontain the embedded item(s).

FIGS. 2A through 2D show the steps of manufacturing a candle having anitem embedded within according to one embodiment of the subject matterdescribed herein. In FIG. 2A, an enclosure or container 200 is provided.In one embodiment, enclosure or container 200 can be intended to containthe finished product, and can be made of glass, plastic, or othermaterial, and can be transparent, translucent, opaque, or somecombination. Alternatively, enclosure or container 200 may not beintended to contain the finished product, e.g., the container can be amold that is used (and possibly reused) during manufacture and is not apart of the finished product.

An item 202, such as a ring, jewelry, prize, redeemable object or otheritem, is placed into a pouch 204 or other item container. In FIG. 2B,adhesive 206 can in some embodiments be applied to the pouch 204containing item 202, and pouch 204 can be attached to the inside wall ofcandle enclosure or container 200, such that the pouch is affixed to theinside of the candle container, as shown in FIG. 20. Wax 208 can then bepoured into candle enclosure or container 200, covering the pouch 204and obscuring the item 202 from view, resulting in the product shown inFIG. 2D. In one embodiment, a wick can be placed or affixed withincontainer 200 prior to adding wax 208. Alternatively, a wick can beinserted into wax 208 after it has been poured into enclosure orcontainer 200.

For example, in one embodiment, rings of different values are placedinto small plastic bags, and in some embodiments each small plastic bagcan be wrapped in gold foil or the like. Alternatively, in oneembodiment, rings and/or redeemable objects of different values areplaced into small plastic bags, and in some embodiments each smallplastic bag can be wrapped in gold foil or the like. For each ringand/or redeemable object wrapped in plastic and gold foil, a small goldfoil indicator is glued to the gold foil that contains the ring and bag.The small gold foil indicator is glued to the inside of the glasscontainer, which allows the customer to see the location of the ringand/or redeemable object within the container. The small gold foilindicator is visible through the glass container. Wax is poured into theglass container and a wick is installed into the wet wax. In oneembodiment, the wax is soy wax. The wax cools or is cooled, and labelsare applied to the glass container and/or the wax. In one embodiment,the item can be affixed in more than one place to the container prior tofilling the container with wax. In one embodiment, the process caninclude applying labels or decorations to the inside or outside ofenclosure or container 200 prior to adding wax 208. For example, theprocess can include applying a safety label to the bottom of a glasscontainer that will contain the candle wax.

FIGS. 3A through 3D show the steps of an alternative method formanufacturing a candle having an item embedded within, in which thecandle can be partially constructed and the item introduced or placedinto the candle before construction of the candle is completed. In FIG.3A, for example, a candle mold or container 300 can be partially filledwith wax 302A, which is allowed to harden until it is firm enough tosupport the item 304 (e.g. ring and/or redeemable object) in the desiredlocation within the candle body. In FIG. 3B, item 304 is placed onto orinto the firm wax 302A at or near the desired location within the candlebody, and in FIG. 3C, additional wax 302B is placed into mold 300. Theamount of additional wax 302B is sufficient to at least cover andobscure item 304 and can partially or completely fill container 300. Inone embodiment, a wick is then inserted into wax 302A and 302B. In analternative embodiment, the wick is placed within container 300 prior toadding wax 302A and/or wax 302B.

The subject matter described herein also includes a candle with an itemembedded within, such as are shown in FIGS. 2D and 30. In oneembodiment, the item can be a ring, other types of jewelry, other typesof prizes, a redeemable object that is redeemable for jewelry or otherobject, or other item. In one embodiment, the candle is designed suchthat the existence, nature, or value of the embedded item and/orredeemable object cannot be determined without burning the candle orotherwise melting the wax so that the item is exposed to view.

In one embodiment, a purchaser or recipient is not aware at the time ofpurchase or receipt that the candle contains an embedded item at all. Inone embodiment, the purchaser or recipient is aware at the time ofpurchase or receipt that the candle does contain an embedded item, butthe candle is designed so that at the time of purchase or receipt, apurchaser or recipient of the candle does not know or cannot determinethe general nature of the item, the exact nature of the item, theabsolute value of the item, the price range of the item, the value ofthe redeemable object or the value of the object for which it can beredeemed, and/or the value of the item relative to the purchase price ofthe candle.

The candle can comprise wax within a shell or container, or wax notcontained in a shell or container. The wax and/or container can betransparent, translucent, or opaque. For example, all or part of thecontainer can be transparent allowing the wax to be seen, but theopacity of the wax prevents the buyer from determining the nature orvalue of the item embedded within. Alternatively, the wax can betranslucent but the container is also translucent with the result thatthe nature or value of the item embedded within the wax isindiscernible. Alternatively, the nature or value of the item can beobscured by an opaque material (other than the wax of the candle) thatsurrounds or covers the item and where the item and the opaque coveringare both embedded within the candle wax. In one embodiment, the wax andcontainer can be transparent or translucent enough to see the item butthe opaque material in which the item is wrapped obscures the nature orvalue of the item. In one embodiment, the item can be covered or wrappedwith a material that prevents damage to the item from the heat of thecandle flame as the candle wax is burned away to expose the item.

The subject matter described herein also includes a method for making acandle that contains an item such that the nature and/or value of theitem is obscured from the buyer and/or recipient. In one embodiment, thevalue of the embedded item, or object redeemable for an item, can beless than the sale price of the candle, equal to the sale price of thecandle, greater than the sale price of the candle, or much greater thanthe sale price of the candle. For example, a candle can be sold for $25that contains within it a ring which can have a value of $10, $100,$1,000, or $5,000, or a redeemable object that can be redeemed for aring which can have a value of $10, $100, $1,000, or $5,000.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A set of candles having prizes embeddedtherein, wherein the set of candles comprises: a plurality of candles,each separate one from the others and each candle having a body composedat least partially of wax; and a pair of prizes embedded in the body ofeach candle and wherein at least one of the pair of prizes in eachcandle is contained within a protective wrapper of metal foil and atleast one of the pair of prizes in each candle has a variable monetaryvalue across the set of candles.
 2. The set of candles recited in claim1, wherein only one of the pair of prizes in each candle has a variablemonetary value across the set of candles.
 3. The set of candles recitedin claim 2, wherein one of the pair of prizes in each candle has thesame monetary value across the set of candles.
 4. The set of candlesrecited in claim 3, wherein the prize in each candle that has the samemonetary value across the set of candles is a token representative of atleast one of (1) a prize and (2) a characteristic of a prize.
 5. The setof candles recited in claim 3, wherein only one of the pair of prizes ineach candle has the same monetary value across the set of candles. 6.The set of candles recited in claim 1, wherein the prize in each candlethat has a variable monetary value across the set of candles is a pieceof the same type of jewelry.
 7. The set of candles recited in claim 6,wherein the type of jewelry is a ring.
 8. The set of candles recited inclaim 6, wherein the type of jewelry is an earring.
 9. The set ofcandles recited in claim 6, wherein the type of jewelry is a jewelrychain.
 10. The set of candles recited in claim 1, wherein each candle inthe set of candles has the same retail price.
 11. The set of candlesrecited in claim 10, wherein the candles comprising the set of candlesare randomly positioned with respect to one another regarding themonetary value of the prizes in each candle that have a variablemonetary value thereby establishing a game of chance with respect toprize value upon selection of a candle from the set.
 12. The set ofcandles recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the pair of prizesin each candle is a token that represents a respective prize orcharacteristic of the respective prize.
 13. The set of candles recitedin claim 1, wherein a first prize of the prizes having a variablemonetary value has a first monetary value and a second prize of theprizes having a variable monetary value has a second monetary value andwherein the second monetary value is greater than the first monetaryvalue.
 14. The set of candles recited in claim 1, wherein a first prizeof the prizes having a variable monetary value has a first monetaryvalue and a second prize of the prizes having a variable monetary valuehas a second monetary value and wherein the second monetary value is atleast twice the first monetary value.
 15. The set of candles recited inclaim 1, wherein a first prize of the prizes having a variable monetaryvalue has a first monetary value and a second prize of the prizes havinga variable monetary value has a second monetary value and wherein thesecond monetary value is at least ten times the first monetary value.16. The set of candles recited in claim 1, wherein a first prize of theprizes having a variable monetary value has a first monetary value and asecond prize of the prizes having a variable monetary value has a secondmonetary value and wherein the second monetary value is at least onehundred times the first monetary value.
 17. The set of candles recitedin claim 1, wherein each candle body is housed within a container and atleast one embedded prize is invisible from an exterior of the candle.18. The set of candles recited in claim 1, wherein each candle body ishoused within a container through which at least one embedded prize isvisible.
 19. The set of candles recited in claim 18, wherein the atleast one visible embedded prize is attached to the container.
 20. Theset of candles recited in claim 1, wherein each candle body is housedwithin a container through which the protective wrapper is visible. 21.The set of candles recited in claim 1, wherein the protective wrapper isattached to the container.
 22. The set of candles recited in claim 1,wherein the protective wrapper within which the embedded prize iscontained comprises a heat resistant material.
 23. The set of candlesrecited in claim 3, wherein the one of the pair of prizes in each candlethat has the same monetary value across the set of candles is a tokenrepresentative of a claimable prize and which comprises a prizeidentifier.
 24. The set of candles recited in claim 23, wherein theprize identifier comprises at least one character.
 25. The set ofcandles recited in claim 23, wherein the prize identifier comprises aplurality of characters.
 26. The set of candles recited in claim 3,wherein the one of the pair of prizes in each candle that has the samemonetary value across the set of candles is a token representative of atleast one characteristic of the other of the pair of prizes.
 27. The setof candles recited in claim 3, wherein the one of the pair of prizes ineach candle that has the same monetary value across the set of candlesis a token representative of the value of the other of the pair ofprizes.
 28. The set of candles recited in claim 1, wherein one of thepair of prizes in each candle is a token comprising at least onecharacter representative of a value of the at least one of the pair ofprizes that has the variable monetary value.